Philips portable data programmer - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

TALKINGWITHPYE · 22nd May 2019, 3:58 pm

Hello all, I have been trying to get a computer data programmer to work. I got the nessecary interface card and software and put them on an old 386 computer and tried to read a Portable Data Programmer but all I got was unable to communicate with external device. The 386 computer video died so I put the card and software onto a Compaq 2000 computer and got the same result. However I began to get the message that the external device was not connected. I then connected an Fm1100 radio, not expecting a favourable response, but it worked and I was able to edit the configureation and reprogram the radio. I thought I may have a bad cable on the PDP and I changed it with a spare one but still no result. Does any one have any experience of this senario. As long as I can program radios that is fine but I am puzzled as to why the PDP is not recognised.

Dave GI8LCJ

G6Tanuki · 22nd May 2019, 5:40 pm

I've had a lot of issues in the past when using more-modern computers to try and program older two-way gear.

When the first "PC-programmable" two-way radios came out in the early-1980s the support-software was designed to run on first-generation 8086/8088-based PCs with slow clock-rates [4.77MHz or 8MHz if you were lucky]. The programming of the radios was slow so time-delay loops in the software were used to let the radio 'catch-up' between each program-instruction.

These delay-loops could be something like "count from 1 to 65535" or "compute sines from 1 to 90 degrees, 1000 times".

When faster computers like 286s and 386s came on the scene these simple "compute-based" delay-loops were completed too quickly for the radio to keep-up.

Another problem - particularly when using a laptop - was that many laptops used 'custom' power-saving chipsets to drive their serial- and parallel-ports: these often flew close-to or below the official voltage-swings for RS232/V24 serial or Centronics parallel-port standards. Anything that drew significant current from the laptop's interface could pull the signal-lines down to such a low voltage that communications became unreliable.

I used to have an ancient Toshiba laptop which I kept for programming old radios [the Communique/Vertex/Standard 2000-series being at one time my stock-in-trade] but when these were legislatively-obsoleted in the late-1990s I dumped the laptop, the interface, and my remaining stock of a few dozen radios.

TALKINGWITHPYE · 1st Jun 2019, 3:42 pm

Thanks for your reply, I found out why I couldn't read the PDP. It was simply 2 bad tracks on the interface board in the junction box. A couple of links from the 15 way socket down to the header fixed the problem. I thought I had a dud interface protocol card but I hope to get an ISA video card to get the 386 going to give me a backup machine.

22nd May 2019, 3:58 pm	#1
TALKINGWITHPYE Pentode Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. Posts: 126	Philips portable data programmer Hello all, I have been trying to get a computer data programmer to work. I got the nessecary interface card and software and put them on an old 386 computer and tried to read a Portable Data Programmer but all I got was unable to communicate with external device. The 386 computer video died so I put the card and software onto a Compaq 2000 computer and got the same result. However I began to get the message that the external device was not connected. I then connected an Fm1100 radio, not expecting a favourable response, but it worked and I was able to edit the configureation and reprogram the radio. I thought I may have a bad cable on the PDP and I changed it with a spare one but still no result. Does any one have any experience of this senario. As long as I can program radios that is fine but I am puzzled as to why the PDP is not recognised. Dave GI8LCJ

22nd May 2019, 5:40 pm	#2
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,996	Re: Philips portable data programmer I've had a lot of issues in the past when using more-modern computers to try and program older two-way gear. When the first "PC-programmable" two-way radios came out in the early-1980s the support-software was designed to run on first-generation 8086/8088-based PCs with slow clock-rates [4.77MHz or 8MHz if you were lucky]. The programming of the radios was slow so time-delay loops in the software were used to let the radio 'catch-up' between each program-instruction. These delay-loops could be something like "count from 1 to 65535" or "compute sines from 1 to 90 degrees, 1000 times". When faster computers like 286s and 386s came on the scene these simple "compute-based" delay-loops were completed too quickly for the radio to keep-up. Another problem - particularly when using a laptop - was that many laptops used 'custom' power-saving chipsets to drive their serial- and parallel-ports: these often flew close-to or below the official voltage-swings for RS232/V24 serial or Centronics parallel-port standards. Anything that drew significant current from the laptop's interface could pull the signal-lines down to such a low voltage that communications became unreliable. I used to have an ancient Toshiba laptop which I kept for programming old radios [the Communique/Vertex/Standard 2000-series being at one time my stock-in-trade] but when these were legislatively-obsoleted in the late-1990s I dumped the laptop, the interface, and my remaining stock of a few dozen radios.

1st Jun 2019, 3:42 pm	#3
TALKINGWITHPYE Pentode Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. Posts: 126	Re: Philips portable data programmer Thanks for your reply, I found out why I couldn't read the PDP. It was simply 2 bad tracks on the interface board in the junction box. A couple of links from the 15 way socket down to the header fixed the problem. I thought I had a dud interface protocol card but I hope to get an ISA video card to get the 386 going to give me a backup machine.